Maynard James Keenan Tells Joe Rogan What He Really Thinks About TikTok

Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan was interviewed on Joe Rogan's podcast and talked about how he thinks users of TikTok view him as an artist. It's a pretty dim view. Maynard says, "I'm not necessarily relevant."

On the Joe Rogan Experience from Oct. 25, 2022, Keenan and Rogan were talking about staying relevant as a musician over time, and Keenan says that he doesn't have faith that fans of TikTok will appreciate him. "I won't be relevant to the TikTok-ers of the world… It's not on their radar. The (things) that they listen to now… and respond to now… I'm not necessarily relevant."

Rogan then asks Keenan if he's personally concerned with being relevant. Keenan response contains a snarky dig at some of his contemporaries (who go unnamed.) "You can't (think about whether or not you are relevant. Because you'll start being desperate and getting plastic surgery and lookin' like a fuckin' alien and trying to insert yourself into some stupid fuckin' thing." Keenan, then smiling, added, "I'm not talking anybody. I'm not talking about my peers."

Keenan continues, "The quest for relevancy turns to desperation very quickly. It reeks. So just maintain your art dude… (Tool) is just having fun creating."

Rogan then says the Keenan has done a lot of "diverse" work, referring to his many projects besides Tool, like Puscifer and A Perfect Circle. Keenan says that is due to his musical "relationships" with his various bandmates. "That's the listening part. What does Billy (Howerdel) do, what do Adam (Jones) Justin (Chancellor) and Danny (Carey) do? What does Matt (McJunkins) and Carina (Round) do? I'm listening to what they're doing and having that (musical) conversation with them and building on those relationships. They are different conversations with different people with different life experiences. The art and the sounds that come out of those people is going to be 100 percent different. Even if I'm the common thing."

Keenan says that if the audience didn't know that I was in Puscifer, that someone "might pick up that I'm the guy from A Perfect Circle, but probably not."

Rogan and Keenan also banter about keeping one's art (and life) fresh, martial arts and oddly, Miley Cyrus. (It's fun to hear Maynard say "Hannah Montana.") Watch the two in the clip below.

Tool's Maynard James Keenan on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Oct. 25, 2022

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